Thirty years ago today, on Dec. 6, 1989, a gunman walked into École Polytechnique de Montréal and killed 14 women. During the rampage, the man, who had failed to gain admission to the university, shouted, "You're all a bunch of feminists and I hate feminists!"
I was sitting in the basement of my home with my two young daughters who were 1 and 3 years old, when the news came over the television. This was a brutal, targeted mass shooting. In Edmonton, where we Iived, it was a cold, dark wintry night which became even colder and darker as I sat terrified and shocked.
This was the first school shooting (so many more have followed in the US) and I was horrified that a safe, educational environment filled with young, vibrant students was turned into a killing place.
All but two of those women were studying to be engineers. I had a Master’s Degree and considered myself a feminist. I wanted even more opportunities than I had for my daughters.
Today my daughters are well educated and successful women in careers they chose. They are married to supportive, educated and enlightened men.
Yes, there is still pay inequity, women (and men) who feel marginalized in the workforce, domestic violence, women being murdered. I pray we are on a positive track forward and hope with all my hope this horror never happens again in Canada or anywhere in the world.
I always mark this day with remembrance which today took the form of asking the people at the start of a meeting to share their memories. Everyone in the room had a story.
I shall never forget the 14 women who died and by doing so I will do what I can to not let it happen again.
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